A local benefit today will support a woman battling cancer.
Jamie West, 44, was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic brain melanoma.
Christina Nichols, her best friend, helped put together a bowling benefit to support West.
Registration is at 2 p.m. and bowling will start at 3 p.m. at the Fulton Bowling Center. The first place bowling team will receive $100 and the team placing last will receive $50.
There will be a raffle at the benefit with raffle items and a silent auction with items.
The benefit will help with medical bills, living expenses and other expenses she may have during this difficult time.
West started having migraines for a week and a half that wouldn’t subside with any medication on Sept. 11.
She went to the University of Missouri emergency room where MRI results found she had a large mass on her brain containing two tumors. West was admitted into the hospital.
On Sept. 15, West had brain surgery to remove the large mass. During the surgery, doctors found that she also had three other tumors on her brain making it a total of five.
Doctors were able to remove one of the tumors and most of the second tumor from the large mass on the left frontal lobe of her brain. She will undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
West is a mother of four children and five step children.
She enjoys bowling. Nichols and West used to travel to different places to bowl for bowling tournaments such as Kansas City and Illinois.
West also likes motorcycles and has worked with Bikers Against Child Abuse.
West has worked with those with disabilities and recently went back to school to become a nurse. She has been unable to continue with schooling due to her medical issues, she said.
“She just loves helping people,” Nichols said.
West sets a good example for the community, she said. West cares about the community and strives to do things to better the people around her.
People coming out to support West at the benefit would mean a lot.
“We want to her to see the amount of people behind her as a support system,” she said.